Statues - Hither & Thither

Herbert Ingram

Boston, Lincolnshire 1811 - o/b Lady Ingram on Lake Michigan 1860
considered the father of pictorial journalism through his founding of the Illustrated London News. Liberal politician who favoured social reform
(Wikipedia)

Description

White Italian marble statue of Herbert Ingram, with his left arm resting on two bound volumes of the Illustrated London News, dated 1851 and 1860. At the base is a bronze woman (Naiad) with an amphora, a reference to Ingram's efforts to bring the first piped water to Boston. It was meant that water should stream of the vase.

Inscription(s)

Annotation

Unveiled on 6 October 1862. The sculptor, Alexander Munro, was one of Ingram's most intimate friends. The fountain was not ready at the unveiling. On 13 July 1863 it was reported the Naiad was ready to cast in bronze.

Completion of the Ingram Monument.
The monument erected twelve months ago to the memory of the late Herbert Ingram, Esq., M.P., for Boston, received its finishing stroke on Monday last [13 July 1863], when a beautiful bronze figure was placed in the niche at the foot of the statue. The figure represents a female pouring water from a vessel into a receptacle at her feet, and therefore serves the part of an ornamental fountain. This design has been chosen because of its admirable fitness as an emblem of the invaluable boon conferred upon the town principally by Mr. Ingram in the establishment of the Boston Waterworks Company. The work of fixing the figure and laying down the water communication was begun on Saturday, and on its completion, on Monday afternoon, it was inspected by Mrs. and Miss Ingram, who were on a visit in the town, and who expressed themselves as highly gratified with the appearance of the statue in its finished condition.

An engraving of the statue was published in the Illustrated London News of Saturday 26 September 1863.